je ne sais pas

In Victorian times, it was relatively common for a family to have photographs taken of a recently deceased relative before their burial. The photographs served as mementos of the deceased, and were considered especially important if the deceased was too young to have been included in a family portrait, or if the family wasn't wealthy enough to commission a portrait in the first place.

Corpses were often posed to look as if they were sleeping in these post-mortem photographs, but were sometimes sat up or even stood up to make them appear alive.

Baby with mother

Toddler

Nine days post-mortem
The inscription reads "Taken 9 Days After Death. Mother could not part with only daughter. Miss Jeanette Glackmeyer. Daughter whose above photo was taken 9 days after death" I'm not so sure about this one, considering the decomposition that should have taken place by the time the photograph was allegedly taken.

Can you take me back where I came from?

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